Coin-freed gramophone.



J. W. KNIGHTS. COIN FREED GRAMOPHONFE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1a. 1915. RENEWED FEB. 19. 1918.

1,262,521. I Patented Apr. 9,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. W. KNIGHTS. COIN FREED GRAMOPHONE. APPLICATION FILED FEB-1B. 191s. RENEWED FEB. :9. 191a.

, 1,262,521 Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. W. KNIGHTS.

COIN FREED GRAMOPHONE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18. I915- RENEWED FEB. 19.1918- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

JAMES W. KNIGHTS, 'HAMMERSMITH, LONDON, ENGLAND.

COIN-FREED GRAMOPHONE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patignted Apr, 9 11918,

Application filed February 18, 1915, Serial No. 9,131. Renewed February 19, 1918. Serial No. 218,173.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .JAMES WILLIAM KNIGHTS, a subject of His Majesty the King of England, residing at Hammersmith, in

- the county of London, Kingdom of England,

coin-freed gramophones of the kind in-which a plurality of gramophone' records and tone arms are so arranged that any desired record of the plurality, of records can be reproduced on the operation of the coin-freed mechanism.

The present invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement andcombination of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

I will now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic side elevation of part of one form of my improved coinfreed gramophone.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the opposite side;

Fig. 3 is a part plan; I

gig. 4 is a part front sectional elevation; an

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modification.

As shown I provide a plurality'of turn tables a on which are disposed gramophone records or disks a. These'tables are mount? ed in any convenient manner on a central spindle or shaft 6 rotatably mounted in brackets or the like 0 projecting from a suitable casing or the like d. Above each table or record is disposed a movable tone arm a, fitted with any usual sound box f which is adapted to rest, whenlowered, on the dc sired record, so that sound will be transmitted therefrom to a common sound tube 9,

mounted on the casing d, and provided at its upper end with any usual amplifying means or horn 71,. These tone arms 6 are adapted to be raised and lowered by any suitable means such as cams or elliptical carriers 71 which are mounted transversely means of bell-crank levers 7a which are operto the selected tune.

. on the cam shaft.

ated in any well known manner by coinfreed mechanism not shown. Such mechanism could conveniently comprise a plurality of cams on'a common shaft against which rollers on the ends of the levers 70 might be separately brought into position.

' The cams i are also connected at their opposite ends to bell-cranks l which are adapted to operate baffle plates m in the soundtube so that only the particular tone arm, that has been lowered, is put into communication with the sound tube as shown'in section in Fig. 2. in order to bring the tone arms back to the commencement of the record, I may provide adjustable arms 'I'L arranged with antifriction rollers in such a manner that on the rotation of the spindle 0, by hand or automatically after veach operation, the

in the coin-freed mechanism, the spindle b.

is rotated and also the plurality of records a and at the same time one of the tone arms 6 is lowered onto the recordcorresponding This tone arm 6 may be actuated by an external index finger adapted to point on an index of the various tune selections .or the like through the medium of the corresponding bell-crank lever Jo and cam 71 which is rotated to the position shown in the lowerpart of Fig. 1. During this movement of the cam i the bell-crank lever Z on the opposite side is actuated thus moving the baflie plate m and putting the tone arm if'ito communication with the sound tube for the reproduction of the desired record. i

In a modification as shown in Fig. 5, ll control the cams 2' by means of sectors 9 These sectors are actuated by worms 7* throu h the medium of bevel wheels s, shafts t and bevel wheels u, on the lower endsof the saidshafts t, which engage with bevel wheels u loosely mounted on a shaft to. Oneachof the bevel wheels u I provide a spur. wheel '0' and these spur Wheels are ad'apted'to be separately engaged by a common spur wheely' slidable upon a square driven shaft or: and controlled by the operator. Thus the operation of any one of the spur Wheels a will serve to lower its respective tone arm and put the machine into operation for playing the selected tune or piece;

Although l have shown rods and bell B crank levers for transmitting-the power," I: might "conveniently substitute Bowden wire fo'r this purpose.

I What I claim asnew and desirelto" secure 1 by Letters Patent in the United States is 310 1. A coin-freed gramophone: comprisinga plurality of rotatable tables "to receive records', a common sound tube, a plurality of tone arms mounted on the tube, each tone arm'adap ed to operate on a separate rec- 115 rd, a plurality of cams, one cam located beneath-each tone arm to raise and support the same, a plurality of baflle plates mounthed in the'sound tube-for controlling com- .municationbetween the sound tube and tone at arms, and a connection between each cam j and ballle plate of the desired tonev arm to I open the baffle plate upon the turning down of the cam to lower the said tone arm.

2. A coin-freed gramophone comprising a plurality of rotatable tables for supportingrecords one abovethe other,, a vertical sound tubehaving azplurality of openings throughout its length, a-plurality of tone arms mounted on and supported .by the'sound i tube and in communication with the sound tube, each tone arm being. adapted to operate on a' separate record, a plurality of dams.

for normally maintaining the tone arms out of contact with the records, bafile plates at for closing the communicationbetween the tone arms and sound tube, each bafHe plate. 5 being connected to} a cam, and' means for independently actuating eachcam whereby uponthe actuation of a cam for-lowering 4a plurality of'rotatable tables on which rec.- v ordsaremounted, a common soundtube, and- 'tonearmsnormally in communication therewith, means .for'gcutting 'ofl' communication 7 between'each'tone arm and the sound tube, aosineans" for ralsmg and lowering the tone 7 arms from and to the tables, and connecting device's betweenthe raising and lowering 1 means and '.the cut-ofi" means for causing the latter .to be operated by -the-former.

coi'nirel r mop comprising a P1 11 .11W O horizontal rotatable tabhs ranged one above another and each, adapted to support-a record; a common sound tube;

a plurality of tone arms, one for each of said records,'mounted on said sound tube; tr a plurality of devices, one for each of the tone arms, adapted to be separately. operated. to raise and lower their respective tone varms;"a plurality of baflie plates, one for each of. the tone arms, mounted "within the sound tube; and operative connections between said raising and lowering devices and said baflie plates, 7

5. A coin-freed gramophone comprising a plurality of horizontal rotatable tables arranged one above another and each adapted to support a record; a common sound tube ,a plurality of tone arms, one for each of said records, mounted on said sound tube,

and adapted to be separately brought iinto'75 engagement with the respectiverecords to reproduce the same; rotatable arms to return each of said tone arms into its starting" position when. the reproduction of the 're- 'spective record is finished; and adjustable .80

stops tolimit the movement of the tone ar ns. r

I I o I 6. A device as speclfiedcomprlsing a common sound tube, a vertlcally arranged rotary spindle spaced from thetube, a plurality '85 of horizontal vertically spaced, apart tables, mounted on the spindle to rotate therewith and supports. series of independent records, a series of tone armsprojecting from said common tube into position over the respective records, means for normally holding all of the tone arms out ofco'ntact with the records, and means. for releasing the tone arms as selected for. engagement with-the records.

7.. In a device as specified, a sound tube, a'plurality of rotary tables, a tone arm for each table adapted to communicate with the 7 sound tube, supports for normally holding the tone arms out of contact with the tables and out of communication with the sound tube, and means for releasing the selected tone army to engage the table and to com municate with the sound tube.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I 7 JAMES w. KN GHT Witnesses: I

J. S. WITHERS, FRANK Brenna. 

